In FIG. 1 of the drawings there is shown parts of the improved headset for bicycles which is described and claimed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,394, issued July 27, 1982 for Simultaneous Connection Between Handlebar and Steering Fork of Bicycle. This headset comprises the hollow cylindrical tube 2 which extends upwardly from the steering fork 4 of the front wheels and receives within it the cylindrical stem 6 which extends downwardly from the handlebars 8. At its upper end part the fork tube is provided with an external screw thread 10 by which it is connected to the upper member 12 of an annular ball bearing race, the lower member of which is shown at 14. The lower member 14 is connected to the cylindrical bicycle frame part 20 which surrounds the fork stem 2, and has an annular, upwardly facing radially outwardly inclined concave surface 22 on which the balls are supported and which is tangential to the balls at their contacting surfaces, and also has an annular axial edge surface 24. The ball race is completed by upper member 12 the inner surface of which provides an annular downwardly facing concave surface 30 which is above the balls and is positioned to permit their free movement in the two-part ball race. Surmounting the upper race member and formed integrally with it is an upwardly projecting part 32 having a preferably octagonal peripheral surface which is adapted and intended to be engaged by a tool for turning and adjusting the upper race member with respect to the fork tube 2.
The ball engaging surface 30 of the conventional upper race member engages the balls at a point in a line connecting the points of tangency of the upper and lower race members which makes angle A with the horizontal, as shown in FIG. 2, and from this point the inner surface of the upper race member extends radially inwardly, as shown at 34 without further curvature toward the balls.
The object of the invention has been to provide in the ball race of a bicycle headset an upper member of improved construction and configuration which is lighter in weight than the upper member of conventional headsets, and which provides improved movement of the balls.